Avengers Now
by ZeroBen
Summary: Set in Marvel Now, I present an Avengers ongoing! In chapter 3, Nightmask attacks Avengers Tower while Captain Universe and Manifold work on closing the cracks in the Multiverse created by The Being.
1. Destiny Part I

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any Marvel/Disney characters.**

**Notes: **This is my take on a Marvel Now Avengers book. I'm not saying it's better than the real ones, nothing like that, I'm not trying to fix anything. It's just for fun, and it's easier to write in established universes/continuities than ones you're trying to form yourself. Beware, there is a "Halfway" Original Creation of mine joining the Avengers... A new Hyperion. Also, White Tiger, Power Man and Nova are the latest versions of the characters, most notably from the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, though Power-Man in this is obviously Victor Alvarez. The Nightmask in here will have a different origin. The same for Angela, kinda/sorta. This fic shares the universe with my **"Venom And The Rebels"** and **"The Original Spider-Man" **fic. Hence, Wolverine and Black Widow not being Avengers in here. Lastly, for each chapter, the characters listed in bold are the ones who will appear in that chapter.

And yes, the roster is 21.

**AVENGERS NOW**

Angela, **Black Panther, Captain America, Captain Marvel, **Captain Universe, Falcon, **Hawkeye, **Hulk, Human Torch, **Hyperion, Iron Man, Manifold, **Mockingbird, Nightmask, Nova, Power-Man, Quasar, Thor, **Vision, **White Tiger, X-23

_**1#**_

_**"Destiny"**_

_**Part I**_

The pitch-black jet with very faint purple trim, screamed through the bright blue skies. Catching up from behind at a seemingly impossible rate was a black and gold blur. None other than... The _Invincible Iron Man_. Stopping this un-manned drone was a matter of life and death, as he could clearly see with his suit's special enhanced vision that there were sophisticated explosives lining the entire interior. If hit in the right spot - maybe even simply touched - it may have very well been enough to level a city almost completely.

_"Four suicide drones. Three Avengers in pursuit."_

"Leave the extra one to me, P.E.P.P.E.R.," Iron Man answered his newest AI System, speaking through an established communications link.

_"The drone is set to detonate upon impact. Explosion radius is currently unknown."_

"It's gonna be big, make sure the other Avengers know to be careful," Iron Man responded while in flight, coming up on the drone, slipping underneath, "Gotta time this just right."

As careful and cautious as he could possibly be, Iron Man traveled at just the right speed while flying underneath the drone, and then began lifting it, re-directing its course far higher into the sky, up above the clouds, as high as needed to be sure. When the moment was right, Iron Man slowed down just enough to get behind it at a safe distance and then let loose his repulsor rays. Unexpectedly, pieces of debris began falling, big enough to cause damage or even hurt somebody below...

Thinking quicly and acting quicker, Iron Man blasted the bigger pieces of debris into smaller harmless bits, avoiding a possible disaster.

"One down," he said, "Now, where's the other?"

_"Heading towards Times Square."_

"On it," Iron Man kicked in to full-speed, using whatever bit of power he had in the armor, hitting a mph that could rival Quicksilver.

Momentarily, the Armored Avenger had his target in sight. Unfortunately, he had arrived just a few touches later than expected or desired. He must have misjudged exactly how far the drone had traveled. In fact, judging by one of his gauges, this drone was moving faster than the others.

Same look, same set-up, but nearly triple the amount of bombs. This one was going to be big.

"Closing in," Iron Man informed the AI, "How are the others doing?"

"_Captain Marvel intercepted the drone targeting the west coast. Thor eliminated the drone targeting Texas."_

"Good, I'm here, let's get this ov... _NO_!" Iron Man cursed, discovering a timer on the bottom of this drone, "It has a timer! Three seconds!"

Left with no other option, Iron Man blasted the drone in a massive explosion that sent him flying down and back through a tall building, two floors of said building, and out the other side. His armor was damaged, body a little sore, but all he could think of is if innocent New Yorkers were injured - or worse - by the explosion.

**(Moments Ago)**

**:::Street Level:::**

They said... Go to New York, your destiny awaits you there. That is what his guides told him after he returned to his home when his service with Nick Fury's Secret Warriors team finished. He wanted to stay home, rest, be with his family, but they wouldn't let him. They told him... Go to New York, your destiny awaits you there.

And, until now, until this very moment, _Eden Fesi_ didn't believe them...

_BOOM!_

Directly overhead, Eden heard and saw a massive explosion. Thinking faster than he ever assumed he could, he raised his arms and pointed his hands towards the firey blast as it hurled downward to the city below. That second, a flash of light was seen and the very fabric of time and space opened, swallowing the explosion whole, and closed.

The New York City citizens all looked at Eden, realizing it was he who had taken care of the explosion. He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling some stage fright, especially when they began applauding him, thanking him.

"Destiny, huh?" he said to himself as they cheered, "Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all."

"You," Iron Man entered the picture, hovering overhead in a damaged suit, "Where did you put it?"

Eden turned around, confused, "What are you talking about?"

Iron Man lowered to the ground, confronting the supposed hero, "You teleported the explosion. Where did you put it?"

"I don't know, man," Eden answered truthfully, "I stopped it from exploding here, that's the main thing."

"Do me a favor," Iron Man took flight, "Educate yourself about your powers. Just because that explosion didn't happen here, it still happened somewhere. And, if you didn't consciously put it somewhere, that means it erupted in sub-space or whatever the hell it's called these days."

"The _sub-space_ between my portals is nothingness," Eden explained while Iron Man began flying away, "I know what I'm doing."

"Sure you do," Iron Man remarked before flying out of earshot.

**:::::Somewhere Distant and Worlds Away:::::**

It was dark and cold, the surrounding area appearing like a hornet's nest split in half. In the darkened sky, stars raced across, leaving behind trails of powerful white hot light. However, as one group of shooting stars happened to pass by, they collided with a raucous explosion that appeared literally out of nowhere. This caused an even bigger explosion that rocked the landscape, cracking the ground in half, allowing for an eruption of fire and light to spew into the air like a massive volcano.

The fire and light balled together in the atmosphere, spinning as it gathered bolts of electricity. Acting almost in the same fashion as an oven, the gathering examples of energy seemed to cook. But, once heated enough, the sphere couldn't contain itself anymore and burst outward, engulfing the entirety of this landscape in white hot explosive energy!

And then... _There Was Nothing_.

**(Thirty Minutes Ago)**

**:::Texas:::**

Cole Carson expected more out of his life. He always expected himself to venture further in life than a worker at a chemical plant. But, at the age of twenty-seven, there he was... Working a 9-5 at a chemical plant. The hours were good, the pay was good, and the people were friendly enough. But, still, Cole expected more from himself, so he wanted more for himself. He felt destiny had planned something greater, but had no clue on how he would fulfill that.

"Carson, didn't you hear the damn whistle?" Supervisor shouted from the catwalk of the plant, "Quittin' time, let's go. Second shift is comin' in, go home."

Go home to Nina. Go home to the girlfriend who was sticking by him, promised to through thick and thin. Go back to being her hero without ever actually being her hero. If that made any sense, that is.

Cole sighed and cleaned up his work area. After that, he started walking over to the lockers. He noticed a couple co-workers watching a television situated on the wall. He paid no mind at first, figuring it just local news, but then realized it was exactly that; Local news. Thing of it was, the local news tonight was far more local than anyone at the plant could have predicted when they woke up in the morning...

"Dude, check this out," a guy said, "Friggin' Avengers are chasing after some kinda jets, and one of them is flying over us!"

_BA-BOOM!_

Everyone was startled, but then quickly ran outside, discovering small flakes of metal raining down along with puffs of smoke floating high they saw a figure; The God of Thunder, Thor, soaring down to catch a larger piece of metal before it hit the ground. Of course, mission accomplished, and the Asgardian Avenger flew off into the distance, having saved yet another day.

"Damn, man," another worker mentioned, staring into the sky, feeling gracious, "That could've been us... Blown to bits. Thank god we live in a world of super heroes, huh?"

"No doubt."

Cole stood in silence. Maybe _awe_ was a better word. Thor? the Avengers? Talk about being meant for greater things, fulfilling destiny. In a way, he was jealous. They knew what to do with their lives, they took hold of the greatness waiting for them. There was no chance they were returning home from a day of work, feeling the feeling of incomplete.

Cole sighed and waved bye to his co-workers, en route to his old pick-up truck. Time to go home. Time to give Nina a kiss then watch on TV a news report about how he almost died, yet had absolutely nothing to do with it. Time to continue being normal and underwhelming. Time to wait a little longer for destiny.

**(Now)**

**:::Avengers Tower:::**

The Drones were taken care of. That much was out of the way. However, where did they come from? Who built them, and what was the true purpose? Also, why were they so easy to find? At first blush, this plan seemed to be foiled easily by the Avengers. At a second glance, you had to wonder if it was meant to be easy? And, if so, exactly why?

The recently updated Core Avengers team had gathered at the newly built Avengers Tower. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Panther and Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers. Also, Vision was present at the meeting, as well.

"Myself, PEPPER and Vision couldn't hack into the drones CPU," Stark explained, minus the bulk of his Iron Man armor, merely wearing the inner layer, "Not to sound cocky, but that's saying something right there. A sophisticated firewall unlike anything I've ever come up against before."

T'Challa spoke while working with interactive holography, mask hanging down, "Judging by flight path and possible high priority targets; San Francisco, Ft. Worth, Times Square and Washington."

"A good ol' fashioned terrorist attack?" Hawkeye wondered the obvious.

"Maybe, but I'm not sold yet," Stark answered.

"Sounds like it to me," Captain America said, "What else could it be? Other than being big US Cities, what do these four places have in common?"

"Fort Worth, Texas," T'Challa brought it up on the interactive hologram, "The explosion took place directly above a chemical plant."

"Aye," Thor confirmed, "The machine was flying _directly _towards it."

"Times Square is obvious," T'Challa continued, bringing up each individual place on the map, "San Francisco has to be... The Golden Gate Bridge. Washington... The White House."

"So, just what kind of terrorism are we looking at?" Carol said, "Hydra and Leviathan are out of the game. The only one I see able to do something like this right now is AIM."

"I think we're looking at this wrong," Stark had a different idea, "I know that the signs all point to a terrorist attack, but I don't think that's what this is. The only 'terrorist' organizations left are AIM and what we're hearing of _DEAD_. AIM wouldn't attack like this, it's just not their style, especially after getting their own island nation. Yeah, they're assholes, but they're smart assholes, not dumb ones."

"DEAD is still upstart," Stark explained more, "Plus, they don't have a vendetta against America, so much as they just hate the whole world."

"If that's the case," Steve said, "Then what are we looking at?"

Stark looked over his shoulder to Vision, "Take it away, buddy."

Vision stepped forward, ready to drop a bombshell, "Following the battles between the Avengers and X-Men, SHIELD designed and developed four of what they refer to as... _Zero Sites_. One underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, one underneath Whedon Chemicals, one underneath Times Square, and one directly under The White House. Iron Man and myself have been able to uncover the locations, but nothing else."

The other Avengers unaware of this until now, all looked to each other, suddenly feeling distrustful of SHIELD's recent rebuilding. Tony Stark was the first to comment, though, following Vision's revealing, "So, the way I see it, we have two problems to deal with. One, finding out who the hell is responsible for the drones. Second, find out why the Avengers weren't made aware of SHIELD's Zero Sites."

Hawkeye sighed, "And here I was hoping things would be cool for awhile."

"We need to play this carefully," Steve took charge, "SHIELD's gained a lot of trust lately. For better or worse, we need to maintain that, at least for the time being. With that in mind, we need to find out what these Zero Sites truly are, and what their purpose is. And, we do this calmly. Maybe if we know more about the sites, we'll know more about the drones."

"A sound plan, Captain," Thor agreed.

"I'm good with that," Carol added.

"Me too," Clint followed.

It was settled. The Avengers would begin investigating SHIELD's Zero Sites, while at the same time, being mindful that possibly another attack could happen. With this decided; Captain America, Thor, Captain Marvel and Hawkeye all took their leave from Avengers Tower. Vision returned to his duties in trying to learn more as well, albeit from the central computer hub.

"Stark," T'Challa said before Tony left the room, "I meant to ask you; What happened to the last explosion? Reports have come in that it just disappeared?"

"Yeah," Stark answered, "Some rookie teleporter, I think he worked for Fury before. He took the blast away, but didn't put it anywhere. At least, consciously."

"That is un-wise," T'Challa said, "The explosion wasn't stopped... Only moved."

Tony shrugged, "What can we do now?"

T'Challa sighed, "I suppose you may be right. But, I think it would be in our best interest to speak with this man."

"Have Vision try to dig something up on him," Stark offered, the armor returning as a window opened, "I'm gonna pull a sweep, make sure there's no more little birdies flying around. See ya when I see ya, BP."

This didn't sit well with T'Challa. A massive explosion teleported, but not to a specific place? He instantly returned to the computer, trying to see if he could pull up anything about unexplained explosions. Oh no... His eyes went a little wider than they normally would... Something had happened in Texas just moments ago...

"Vision," he called out, "Contact any available Avengers in or around the Texas area. Send them the coordinates I'm now giving you."

**(Fifteen Minutes Ago)**

**:::Texas:::**

Driving along the highway, radio on, window down, just passing time on the road.

Until something sparked Cole's curiosity. As he was driving down the lonely stretch of road, nothing but empty fields and what you could call a couple small deserts, he saw something he had never seen before. In the open field, he saw an entire thunderstorm cloud. The rain only reaching one spot. Lightning crashing down, thunder booming, the rain heavy and violent. Just one lone dark cloud in one empty field. He had never seen anything like it.

Cole pulled his old pick-up truck over to the side of the road, watching closely. This wasn't normal. This... Something like this just didn't happen. At the very least, that he was aware of. Then again, he would have never called himself a weather aficionado, so who knows?

Enthralled by the event, Cole pulled out his cell phone while getting out of his truck, trying to get pictures and video. Only to have a bolt of lightning strike him down, throwing him back violently against the side of his truck. After the bone-breaking and metal-denting thud, Cole hit the pavement, body trembling uncontrollably, his breaths in steam, his hand severely burnt where he was holding the phone. The jolt was nearly enough to send him spiraling into cardiac arrest. He could feel his heart skipping beats, and then the pain as the beats made his heart feel like a pulsing anvil wanting out of his chest!

Before he could even attempt to try and move, another bolt of lightning struck the truck, causing an explosion that flung Cole through the air, right into the middle of the field where the storm was pouring down ferociously. He landed right in a big mud puddle, mind reeling, body wracked with an enormous amount of surging pain. Conceding that this was the end of his life, and unable to do anything about it in the first place, Cole gave in. He painfully rolled onto his back in the mud, staring up at the small yet monstrous storm.

So much for being destined for greater things. So much for destiny altogether. This was his grand moment, laying in a pool of pain, blood and mud, staring up at the end. The cat wasn't the only thing curiosity killed, huh?

A massive sphere of crackling power and energy sudden appeared out of the cloud, accompanied by a screaming whining sound and larger roars of thunder. Almost as if it was somehow alive, somehow sentient, it lowered down, hovering over the now unconscious Cole Carson. More screams and whines, tentacles consisting of the same energy as the rest of it, sprouted from the mass, moving mysteriously until a growl of thunder ripped through the air and the tentacles shot into Cole, raising him up, waking him up, imbuing him with power on a cosmic scale!

But, it backfired against the sphere. Suspended in mid-air, arms and legs outstretched, pain surging, Cole's eyes lit with golden energy that fired outward in two beams, straight into the portal this thing had come out of! In an instant, it began closing and the sphere was pulled back, losing its touch with Cole, more whines and screams. Cole dropped back to the mud puddle, eyes closing, breathing going back to normal, pain subsiding, bones moving back into place, heartbeat regulating.

_Destiny_.

_**::::::::::AVENGERS NOW::::::::::**_

This my last new fic for a good long while. People may see no point in me doing an Avengers 616 _and_ reboot, but there are stories I can tell here that I can't tell in there, and vice-versa. Also... These stories will be far more original than the ones in the reboot. Though, admittedly, this first is inspired by ideas presented in the real book. The OC Hyperion will figure heavily in the first arc, but don't worry, that won't always be the case.


	2. Destiny Part II

_**Previously In "Avengers Now" -**_

_The Avengers encounter a mysterious coordinated attack. And while they are able to stop it, the ramifications will be felt for a long time to come. Meanwhile, Iron Man and Vision have uncovered secret SHIELD operations called Zero Sites, and the seemingly heroic deeds of Eden Fesi turns out to have inadvertently caused immense damage in different realities as the explosion he teleported away to save Times Square has grown into something much more destructive. And elsewhere, young man Cole Carson is troubled by the very concept of destiny, only to be confronted with it head-on during a strange "weather" encounter._

**Angela, **Black Panther, **Captain America, **Captain Marvel, **Captain Universe, Falcon, Hawkeye, **Hulk, Human Torch, **Hyperion, **Iron Man, Manifold, Mockingbird, **Nightmask, Nova, Power Man, **Quasar, Thor, Vision, **White Tiger, **X-23

_**2#**_

_**"Destiny"**_

_**Part II**_

Two golden beams of light broke through the very fabric of time and space. Like broken glass, each barrier was shattered more violently than the last, the two beams intensifying as they traveled further. Faster, they gained speed and momentum, colliding with everything, stopping at nothing. They were not to be denied, not to find an end to their destruction.

That being until they were finally halted by coming around full circle and being added to the building energy of the sphere that created them. With even more strength within itself, the sphere continued its aimless trek through portals and dimensions, building upon itself more and more.

**(Now)**

**:::::Texas:::::**

"Is he still alive?"

"He has a pulse _and_ he's still breathing."

"Yeah, but we've been here twenty minutes and he still hasn't woke up."

Cole heard the voices before seeing anything. Then, when he finally opened his eyes, he saw everything through a golden tint. He sat up sharply, rubbing his eyes. At first, he didn't even notice the four heroes standing around him in the mud; Falcon and Avenger recruits... White Tiger, Power-Man and Nova. He was just so taken by what had happened to him. The jolt to his mind and body, his eyes, everything. He felt a sudden surge of... Of... _Strength_ pulsing through him. Like right after an energy drink, but multiply it by a hundred and take away any side effects.

"Yep," Nova remarked, White Tiger beside him, "He's still alive."

"Sam," Power-Man, Victor Alvarez, said, reaching a hand to help Cole up, "That was never a... WHOAH!"

Power-Man was thrown through the air following a simple twist-away from Cole. The young man quickly apologized, still trying to comprehend just what the hell had happened, "I'm sorry! I... I didn't mean to... I don't... I don't... Ther...There was this storm and..."

Power-Man was thrown quite a ways, but able to withstand the accidental punishment, thanks to his powers. Seeing a friend in trouble, White Tiger and Nova quickly took defensive stances, ready to fight. But, that meant it was time for Falcon to step in before things got out of hand...

"It's okay," Falcon assured him and the others, "We know something happened to you. We're here to help."

Starting to calm down, Cole looked around, finding a ton of news crews and even a chopper flying above. Looked like word got around that something happened. He kept wiping and rubbing his eyes, but the gold tint wasn't going anywhere, didn't even fade whatsoever. He didn't know what to do, what to say, how to act. This situation was just such a shock to the system - _literally_, too. He was at a loss. Like a deer in the headlights.

"Listen," Falcon said calmly as Power-Man returned in the background, "We need to take you to Avengers Tower, okay? You'll be safe, we're going to help you. But, we need you to stay calm and keep in mind... Your body's changed dramatically."

"_Changed_," Cole swallowed hard, breathing through his nose, light leaving his eyes almost like smoke rising from a fire, "The... What was it? It did this to me."

"I can feel something," the 16 year old Nova spoke up, noticing something, "It's in the air. It's like... Like how you can feel it before it snows, you know?"

"Cosmic awareness?" White Tiger asked, with one lens higher than the other.

"I think so," Nova said, but he was confused somewhat, "It feels like... Something's coming."

Falcon turned his attention away from Cole for a minute, "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know," he responded, "I just feel it. Something's definitely coming right at us."

Nova then looked up, as did everyone else from the heroes to Cole to the news crews. In the spot in the sky where the sphere had come, a rip formed, a tearing of space and time. And out of that rip came a beautiful woman, clad in golden armor, brutal weapons, and strange red markings on her face. Her full red hair flowed down her back, as the back half of a skirt did down her legs, held on by a ridiculously large belt that seemed to hold up nothing but itself.

In one hand was a deadly axe, the other a mighty sword. And, she glared deathly at the group in the middle of the now muddy field.

"Who did this?" she asked angrily through gritted teeth, ready to strike at any second, "Who ripped me from my home!?"

Falcon boldly - yet slowly - stepped forward, "I think something strange happened. We're right now in the middle of..."

"Who!?" she shouted, most of the news crews bailing out in a panic at that point.

For what reason, he wasn't entirely sure, Cole stepped ahead of the Winged Avenger, "It wasn't us. Something attacked... It was..."

"Excuses," she was disgusted, "You dare spit childish excuses at a Warrior of Heaven? At _Angela_!?"

"Uh-oh," Nova cringed, "Is it too late to decline the invite to join the Avengers?"

"Don't worry," Falcon said, "No one's going to..."

The Heavenly Warrior, Angela, charged with every intention of decimating those in front of her! She dashed toward Falcon, but was tackled down by a quick-thinking Cole. The two of them tumbled through the mud, rolling until finally stopping, with Angela straddling and touching the tip of her blade to Cole's throat, drawing just the tiniest droplet of blood.

"Your eyes," she said in a hushed tone, "They're the exact color. It was you!"

**:::::SHIELD Helicarrier:::::**

The Main Base of Operations for SHIELD. Their Helicarrier.

It was where Director Daisy Johnson could usually be seen, along with Maria Hill, Nick Fury Jr. as well as agents such as Phil 'Cheese' Coulson. It was also where people like Captain America and Hawkeye knew to go if they were looking for answers to specific questions. This time around? Why in the hell SHIELD had set-up secret sites, and exactly what was so secret about them in the first place.

"Don't bother denying it," Hawkeye said in the middle of the conversation, "Vision's done his homework and knows where they are."

"So," Captain America's turn, confronting Director Johnson and Phil Coulson, "Why weren't the Avengers made aware? And what's at these places?"

Despite not being the Director for very long, Daisy still maintained her footing, standing firm, "The sites were kept secret because SHIELD feels super humans cannot be one-hundred percent trusted, whether they're Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, whatever."

"What are you keeping there?" Hawkeye asked, taking a step forward.

"Sorry," Johnson answered, "But, that's classified."

"You've got to be kiddin' me," Hawkeye laughed sarcastically, "_Classified_?"

"It's no joke," she stood her ground, "And, quite frankly, I'm offended that you're not taking me seriously."

The conversation seemed to grow more and more tense as the seconds turned to minutes, but strangely felt like hours passing by.

"All right. Well, considering what happened earlier today," Cap said, "I think it's in both the Avengers and SHIELD's best interest to share whatever it is that you're keeping from us. It's a matter of public security."

"An ongoing investigation into who or what was behind the drones is already underway," Director Daisy Johnson explained, "SHIELD has it under control."

"Fancy way of saying no to sharing info, huh?" Hawkeye remarked, "Well... This is getting us nowhere. Who knew that after everything going down... SHIELD would turn into hoarders?"

"You know what, _Barton_," that had struck a nerve in Director Johnson, "Everything that went down between your team and the X-Men is exactly why SHIELD is taking the stance it now is. We will work with you, we will help you, but we now understand that there are some instances when SHIELD needs to stand alone. The Zero Sites are the first example of this. They are one-hundred percent SHIELD and nothing else. Not the Avengers, not Reed Richards, not any non-affiliated SHIELD personnel."

"You're right, Hawkeye," Captain America spoke after the explanation, "This is getting us nowhere. Let's head out, we have our own _ongoing investigation_ to take care of."

"Yeah," Hawkeye added.

"By the way," Cap pointed out to the new Director, "Not for nothing, but Nick would be proud."

Daisy sighed, nodding her head, "This isn't personal, Steve. We're still all on the same side here."

"Oh, I know," Cap said as the two Avengers walked away.

**:::::Texas:::::**

Angela was blasted - _literally_ - off of Cole, her body thrown through the air, though she sustained no lasting physical damage.

Cole sat up, coughing, pointing at Nova for a sign of thanks. He turned onto his knees, wiping the small amount of blood off of his neck while still gasping for air. No time to rest. Angela was charging once again, dead-set on making this young man pay for what he accidentally did to her.

Power-Man stepped up, running forward and blocking her attack, his body lighting up with a red glow, his power maximizing itself. Power-Man swung a heavy strike, but Angela easily swayed, then kneed him in the gut, elbowed him in the back, then flipped him over onto the ground, prepared to use her blade, inching it closer and closer until...

"No," Cole grabbed her from behind, causing her to drop her weapon. But, Angela was too strong, breaking out of Cole's grasp, then spinning and knocking him back with a brutal kick that may have been enough to kill a normal human being. Cole was painfully knocked back at least two-hundred feet.

"Stop this," Falcon tried to cut this battle short, "We can talk it out! No one meant to do anything to you. You have to understand, something else is behind it!"

Angela sneered, "You'd say anything!"

Her axe was thrown, cutting through the air, though it was stopped by a mysterious bolt of blue and white energy.

Then came someone else. An unexpected visitor. One that only Falcon knew of, though had never met. Through a calm transfer, the cosmic being _Captain Universe_ phased into our world. The Captain hovered overhead, displaying a feminine body. Perhaps, a new host had been selected to wield the mighty and near infinite Uni-Power.

Upon her arrival, the fighting ceased immediately. They all simply watched, even Angela, as Captain Universe continued to hover above them. She then spoke, voice of beauty yet hollow, "You must band together. A great disaster has befallen the Multiverse."

"No," Angela was defiant, picking up her weapons, "This isn't my world! I don't belong here, and it's because of him!"

"It is no fault of his," she explained, "He is as much a victim as you."

Momentarily, cooler heads prevailed and Angela relaxed her stance, though kept her weapons in hand.

"The Multiverse is in grave danger," Captain Universe said, a light blue glow surrounding her, "A being has been born of chaos and has evolved from nothing to everything at a terrifying rate. It must be stopped. The Avengers are needed."

Falcon tapped into his comm-link, "Vision, do you read? This is Falcon."

_"Yes."_

"Listen, contact the Avengers," Falcon said, "We need to have a meeting asap. Also, we need a Quinjet pick-up. I'm sending coordinates now."

Cole approached Falcon, "I can't just go! My girlfriend is waiting for me at home. I..."

Captain Universe volunteered, "I will take you to her and then to Avengers Tower. But, we must be quick."

"Take me? I... Wait... Man, I don't even know what's going on," Cole was overwhelmed, "One second I'm driving down the road, the next second I have superpowers and an Angel wants to kill me. It's too much!"

"Look," Falcon said to Cole, "Go with Captain Universe, say what you need to say to your girlfriend. But, I'm telling you, your life just completely changed. There's no going back. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing Iron Man, Black Panther and the rest aren't going to want you out of their sight for awhile."

Deep breath from Cole, then he warily turned toward Angela, "You're not gonna try to kill me anymore?"

She seemed hesitant, but still answered, "For the time being? No."

"Time being?" White Tiger commented, "That didn't sound good."

**:::Cole's House:::**

Captain Universe and Cole phased to the front-yard of his house with ease. Though, Cole was still rocked mentally by everything going on.

It was nothing special, but it was his home. And, to be honest, he had never been happier to see it than he was now. Especially to find his wife waiting inside, watching the television with clouded eyes and Kleenexes clenched tightly in her hands. She could never remember being as nervous as she now was, and Cole saw it on her face the second he walked in.

When Nina saw her boyfriend, the tears poured with relief. She let out a gasp and ran toward him, her arms stretched and wrapping around him tightly. Nothing else mattered in that moment other than they were together once again, that Cole was still alive.

"I thought... I did... I... I didn't know what to think," she babbled, and with every right to.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, eyes closing, "Th... There was this weird storm... And... Uhh... I stopped to take pictures."

"I know about the storm and the superheroes," she said, "It was all on the television. But, they said... I mean, the way they said it... It was almost like... Like you were one of them."

Cole took a deep breath, backing a step away, eyes still closed, "I have to show you something. Just, please, don't freak out."

Slowly, his eyes opened, revealing them to be filled with golden light that leaked like a thick rising steam. He heard a gasp and the light dissipated, his eyes reverting back to normal.

Her fingertips gently touched his cheekbones as she gazed into his eyes, a thousand questions swirling in her mind like a cyclone, with only one able to escape, "What happened to you?"

He swallowed hard, fighting a lump building in his throat as tears started to slip, "I don't have enough time to tell you."

She was confused.

"I have to leave," sudden and hurtful, but the only way, "I have to meet with the Avengers."

Her own tears now met with the confusion.

"I'm so sorry," his forehead touched hers, eyes closing once more, "I'll come back as soon as I can. I'll explain everything. But... Right now... There's not..."

She held back a sob, "You're one of them now?" her fingers went down along his biceps, now bulging and defined with hard muscle, "You're a superhero?"

He sighed, "I don't know. All I know is... I'm different now. But... I still love you and I always will. Powers or not, that'll never change. Never."

A few short minutes later, Cole and Nina emerged from the house. Remaining still the entire time, Captain Universe stood out front, paying no attention to the dozens of people that had gathered. The cosmic hero felt the pain on Nina's face, and slowly stepped past Cole, to the young woman. She then pulled her mask back, revealing a beautiful female underneath...

She took Nina by the hands and looked into her eyes, "All the pain and fear you're feeling won't last. Soon, it will fade. Because, you will always know, the two of you are meant to be. The love the two of you share is stronger than anything else you will ever know. Everything that you feel for him, he feels for you. Even when you are separated by distance, you will always be together."

Nina was silent throughout this, but felt a strange calming sensation washing over her. Fears eased, anxiety fading, love strengthening. In moments, she could only say... "Thank you."

Captain Universe nodded and then let go, turning to face Cole while placing her mask back over her head, "We're going to be flying to Avengers Tower."

"Flying?" what in the world, "You... You're... Gonna carry me?" he asked while they walked away from the house, right through the group of on-lookers.

"No," a simple answer.

"Wait, I can't fly! I mean... I have no clue how. I don't even know if that's one of my..."

"It is," she interrupted, taking off into the air, "Now, let's go. Time is short."

"Wh... Okay, okay, flying? All right... I guess it's just like jumping, right?" he asked himself, though he were surrounded by curious people, "Just... Jumping without landing. This sucks. Okay, here we go."

He landed on his face without his feet leaving the ground. Everyone stared at him cockeyed, Captain Universe long gone by this point. Maybe it was a matter of a running start? He tried running and then jumping, but ended up with the very same result of him landing on his face. This time, people had started to laugh.

"Cole," Nina called out from their property, "Stop _trying _to fly. Just... Fly."

Just fly? Just... Holy sshhh... He was up in the air, floating away. Control and direction were a little off, but he was in the air. He couldn't believe it at first. Though, rather suddenly, it started becoming second nature. He then began concentrating best he could and he was soaring through the skies with ease, a large smile forming on his face as well as Nina's as she watched from below.

Captain Universe phased into reality next to him, soaring right alongside, "Follow me."

**:::A Distance Greater than can be Imagined:::**

There was darkness. And after that, there was a blue light.

The Accident... The incarnation of Chaos... The Sphere of power and energy... _The Being _had been born. The Being had altered pitiful human Cole Carson into a man of great and immense power. But, the connection with the human had been lost before it could be established. Therefore, The Being took to a different reality... A different world... A different universe altogether. And discovered another that would be suitable enough.

An African-American man was raised into the air, rising from an open portal, body stretched and filled with blue light engulfing it. The pain was so high that all consciousness was erased within an instant. The Being had evolved further and further, at an impossible rate. The Being had already traveled through thousands of gateways into thousands of universes, collecting strength and knowledge with each one.

"You... Are... Now... Reborn," its voice impossible to describe, "You... Are... Mine."

The man now had a symbol of the moon against his forehead in bright blue light, his eyes filled with said light. The lower half of his arms were covered in a mysterious black substance. From his waist down, a long black material with specific lighted markings all formed together. Whoever this man once was... Was no more. In fact, that no longer mattered at all. Whoever he was before this... Destiny had changed him into what he was now.

"You... Are... Night... Mask."

Nightmask was released, landing on his feet, kicking up dust. He stood tall, raising his head, looking up at his creator... The Being born of Chaos...

"What do you want of me," he bowed on one knee, "My master?"

_**::::::::::AVENGERS NOW::::::::::**_


	3. Destiny Part III

I've made the decision to separate this from Venom and The Rebels. The more I tried to fit it together... The less it was working out. So, this is its own thing. Because of that, I've added Black Widow and Wolverine to the roster. I also took out X-23, and added Spider-Man (The one true Peter Parker) Psylocke and Quicksilver. We now have 25 for the team.

_**Previously In Avengers Now-**_

_Mysterious drones, secret SHIELD Zero Sites, a warrior from Heaven? As the Avengers begin investigating recent developments, Captain Universe arrives just in time to help save Falcon, Nova, Power-Man, White Tiger and newly powered Cole Carson from a displaced angel named Angela. And also warns that there's danger in the Multiverse that warrants the Avengers help. Meanwhile, the explosion from Times Square that was somehow teleported through numerous realities and transformed Cole Carson, has evolved into a fully sentient and powerful life-form known simply as... The Being. Its first act? Transforming a normal man into... Nightmask!_

**Angela,** **Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain America,** **Captain Marvel,** **Captain Universe, Falcon,** **Hawkeye, Hulk, Human Torch, Hyperion, Iron Man,** **Manifold,** **Mockingbird, Nightmask,** **Nova, Power Man, Psylocke, Quasar, Quicksilver, Spider-Man, Thor, Vision, White Tiger, Wolverine**

_**3#**_

_**"Destiny"**_

_**Part III**_

Avengers Tower.

Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Falcon, Vision and Captain Universe. The foundation had been explained. The Multiverse was in drastic danger due to an explosion that gained strength and then evolved into a sentient life-form. While this thing was gaining life and strength, wreaking havoc along the way, Angela was ripped from her home dimension and fell through open portals, ending up in our world at the supposed scene of the crime.

"What's our plan going to be here?" Falcon asked, minus his gear, "This... Whatever it's called... Is god knows where right now. Could be twenty universes away."

"Yeah, I see what you're saying," Captain America said, "It's not something we can simply chase."

"I can feel it," Captain Universe explained, somehow bringing up a cloud of images to show the Avengers, depicting exactly what this thing had been doing, "It's feeding, destroying and re-creating. It's born of chaos. It only knows chaos and harbors an unquenchable thirst for causing it."

"This could be disastrous," T'Challa stepped up, "It's breaking down walls that were never meant to be broken permanently. Defeating this Being isn't our only priority. We must also repair the damage it's causing to the time space continuum."

"That newbie," Stark mentioned, "The one that started this thing, Eden Fesi. He can open and close portals. What if he just did the closing part? Would it fix the broken walls?"

"It's possible," T'Challa answered, "But, the major problem would lie in being able to find and fix _all _the cracks."

"I will show him the way," Captain Universe said, "I will find him and..."

_"Vision, alert Iron Man. There is an incoming threat," P.E.P.P.E.R. communicating with Vision._

"We have an issue," Vision passed along the warning, turning to the windows, the Avengers joining him.

It was six fighter jets flying together before one of them stopped dangerously close to Avengers Tower, the other ones buzzing around the structure like bees to a hive. On the main jet? The creation of the Being... It was Nightmask, an ominous bo staff materializing in his hand as he stood tall and ready for a fight.

"This ain't good," Stark commented.

"Universe," Captain America ordered, "Find Eden Fesi, work on repairing the cracks. Come back when you're done... We might need you. Vision, work with P.E.P.P.E.R., try to take control of the fighters. Tony, get out there and do whatever you can. Sam and T'Challa, stay with me."

The glass shattered inward after Nightmask had merely raised a hand, still standing on the still jet, which defied logic in and of itself. Captain America put up his shield, Vision put up a force-field as well, and the Avengers were protected by the sharp shards of glass.

"Falcon," Cap said, a stern expression as he stared at Nightmask, "Get me out there."

**(Minutes Ago)**

**:::The Avengers Lab:::**

Bruce Banner, Angela and Cole Carson.

"Superhuman strength, flight, healing, extreme durability, energy beams through your eyes. And that's just what we know so far. Congratulations, you're a superhuman. Everything else is stable, no more radical changes. I think what ever was going to happen to you with this transformation, has already happened."

"I don't know about extreme durability," Cole mentioned, sitting up from the table that Bruce Banner was running numerous tests, "She didn't have too much trouble sticking the tip of her sword in my throat."

"I meant to behead you," Angela revealed, "The sword would go no further."

"Okay," Bruce sighed, wiping his glasses, "Awkward. I'm just going to..."

"What ever happened," Cole got off the table, moving toward Angela, "It wasn't my fault. I was attacked."

"I realize that now," Angela admitted, "But, at the time, I did not."

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions like that," Cole said.

Angela glared, "I've seen my sisters killed for not jumping to conclusions like that."

"Sisters," Bruce noted, "Where exactly are you from?"

"Heaven," her simple answer, "Though... I don't think... Yours."

Before another word could be spoken between the three, a black alert sounded through Avengers Tower. Cole and Angela were a bit confused, but Bruce knew exactly. A code black alert meant the Tower was under attack, and all Avengers inside were called upon to help defend it.

"Duty calls," Bruce pulled off his lab coat as he began transforming into the Jade Avenger... "You might wanna go elsewhere for now. Hulk doesn't take kindly to new faces."

"Hulk," Cole realized what he should have already, "Bruce Banner? You're the... Oh no, we gotta get out of here."

"What? Why?" Angela saw no reason to run, "I'm a warrior, you have super-strength. There's nothing for us to..."

"Just trust me!" Cole grabbed her by the arm and ran out of the lab.

**(Now)**

**:::Outside:::**

"Are we sure about this, Cap?" Falcon asked as he took flight, Captain America standing on his back, ready to make a flying leap.

"If you need to ask that, then you don't know me as well as I thought," Cap responded.

"Good point," Falcon dove through the air.

When the timing was just right, Captain America jumped off of his fellow Avenger, falling through the air, somersaulting and then landing upright in the same fighter jet this new opponent was currently standing on and possibly keeping in place. The situation might have seemed larger than life... But when you were an Avenger, larger than life didn't appear all that big anymore.

"Who are you and what is this about?"

Nightmask maintained an expressionless face, eyes and markings glowing with bright blue light. Without moving an inch, he finally answered after some hesitation, "_It_ is coming."

"It?" Cap took a fighting stance, not wanting to be caught off-guard, even if he was standing on a fighter jet.

"Yes," Nightmask nodded, "_It_."

Iron flew into the picture, "Vision and P.E.P.P.E.R. were able to hack into the other jets and wrestle them out of this guy's control. Not the one he's on, though. It's not even showing up on radar."

"Get them grounded and disabled," Cap ordered, "We can't risk anything."

Nightmask cocked his head slightly to the side, looking at Iron Man from the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, two repulsor rays shot from Iron Man's hands, aimed right at Captain America. With no room to spare, Cap narrowly dodged the blasts, but they tore a hole in the fighter jet.

The jet was settled for the moment, but once Nightmask separated himself from it, the descent began. Iron Man tried to act, but he was somehow frozen in place, unable to work his armor at all. This left Captain America hurling down faster and faster until the Hulk appeared out of nowhere, catching the First Avenger and saving him. While that happened, Cole emerged from the Tower and instinctively caught the falling jet, bringing it safely and carefully to the ground.

"Damn it," Stark gritted his teeth under the armor, trying to fight the control Nightmask had over him, "You don't know what you're doing!"

"I am preparing Earth for its arrival," Nightmask spoke.

"Who the hell is it!?" the sweat was pouring down his face as his hands were aimed toward T'Challa and Vision inside the Tower.

"The one you created," Nightmask explained, engulfed in blue energy, "The one born of your carelessness and chaotic actions."

"Panther, Vision, take cover!" Iron Man struggled against himself, "I don't have control of the armor!"

At the very last available second, Angela grabbed Nightmask from behind and pulled him away, flying headfirst into a nearby building, crashing through the walls and glass, going through to the other side and falling down through a billboard a city block away!

"Oh man," Stark had control of the armor once again, "That was way too close."

Angela landed a right, followed by another, and then another for good measure. Nightmask's nose was broken, the blood flowing like a busted faucet, "You!" she grabbed him by the throat, raising her other hand, "Was it you who did this to me!?"

Momentarily, a fog lifted off of Nightmask, and it was like he could see clearly again, "No!"

Iron Man flew in, grabbing Nightmask away from Angela, which the warrior wasn't happy about but was willing to let slide for the moment, "Who the hell are you? Who are you talking about? What is it?"

"I don't know," Nightmask answered truthfully, "I can't remember who I was. All I know is... There's something coming and I was supposed to be like a messenger. I couldn't control myself. I didn't want to hurt anyone!"

"Trickery," Angela remarked.

"Maybe," Iron Man let go, "But... For some reason... I believe him."

**(Meanwhile)**

**:::Far Away:::**

"No. I couldn't have caused all of this."

"You must accept your mistake. You must also repair the damage caused by it."

"I... I never thought... This isn't what I figured would happen."

Captain Universe had located Eden Fesi. She had explained everything. Knowing time was fleeting and of the essence, she quickly showed him to a number of cracks caused by the explosion he teleported. Fortunately, Eden was able to close them. The two could only hope that they were able to find each and every one. Missing a crack... Who knows, right? Could have been perfectly okay... Could have lead to a whole new disaster.

"I can feel it," she said as Eden repaired yet another crack, this one on a charred planet of some sort with an orange sky and black stars that glowed ominously.

"Feel what?" he asked.

She was hovering in the air, but fell to her feet, a weakness washing over her, "It's here... In this place. It's coming and it's strong... Too strong. It's angry... Confused... It knows it's failed twice to create a herald. Doesn't understand its own power."

"Agh," what she said made perfect sense when a sudden migraine formed in Eden's skull, pulsing and pounding, enough to drop him down to his knees, "Uh... Ugh... I can't take it. What the hell's going on!?"

The Being had taken humanoid form; Crackling Black light with sparks of purple popping off its body. It hovered in the air, inching closer, full and narrow crimson eyes appearing. They were haunting and evil, staring directly at the two hurting heroes.

"This world belongs to me," The Being spoke, "It is mine. I own it. You do not belong here."

Through sheer will, Captain Universe picked herself up, confronting this thing before her, "You are an accident. A deadly and extremely destructive mistake. You cannot be allowed freedom."

"What do we do?" Eden spoke through strain, just being in the presence of this thing was enough to wear you down.

"Die," The Being threatened, releasing energy from its body, targeting Captain Universe...

Only to find all the energy absorbed and then released back on it... Weakening it significantly. The Being collapsed back onto the ground, stunned by what had just happened. Couldn't be possible... Couldn't be... The Being fired another round of energy... The process repeating itself!

"You are an ill-tempered child," Captain Universe stood tall, fighting back the Accident, "And like one, you must be scolded..." a blast, "Punished..." another, "Grounded," and yet another, this one driving the Being down into the ground at least twenty feet, "For what you've done."

"No," The Being summoned the will to retaliate, causing the ground to rise up towards Captain Universe, nearly impaling her if not for her stopping it and reversing the action, hurting The Being even more!

Slowly, Eden Fesi was able to stand up, straighter and straighter.

The Being was suffering with great and intense pain, crying out in anguish and despair. Yet, it stretched a black arm out, extending its hand into a claw, and grabbed Captain Universe by the throat, bringing her in close, "This is not the end! I will return. When that day comes... Everyone... Everything... Everywhere... Will suffer to the point of begging for death as a release!"

Then it relinquished its hold, not only falling onto the charred ground, but sinking into it. A massive quake came next, the very fabric in which this world was created... Now ripping apart violently.

"Now what's going on!?" Eden shouted, finally standing up, only to fall back down.

"Of course," Captain Universe realized, "I understand now. This place we're in... The Being created its own realm."

"He created an entire world?" Eden stood up once more.

"Yes," she answered, "I can't leave. Not yet. I must find it... Talk to it before anything else happens."

"This world is falling apart," Eden shouted again, "We gotta get outta here!"

"Go back to your Earth," she instructed, "To the Avengers. Tell them the immediate threat is gone for now. But... They need to be aware. There's still more damage... Some that cannot be repaired. Danger is coming to their world. They must be prepared for..."

**(Later)**

**:::Avengers Tower:::**

"... Anything that comes our way."

Captain America had called an emergency meeting at the headquarters. Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Black Widow, Eden Fesi aka Manifold, Cole Carson aka Hyperion, Angela, Bruce Banner, Hawkeye, Power-Man, Nova, White Tiger, Mockingbird, Black Widow, The Human Torch, Quasar, Falcon, Vision, Psylocke, Quicksilver and even Nightmask.

"That's why I'm extending this invitation to all of you," Cap continued, "If you choose; You are all Avengers."

Spider-Man raised a hand, "Question. If uhh... If you were an Avenger before and plan to stay... Is there a pay raise of some sort? I was thinking of buying one of the next-gen consoles when they... Hey, what? Can't a guy have some meaningless fun during downtime? Logan, don't look at me like that."

**:::Somewhere Dark:::**

A gathering of evil.

Mephistopheles, Blackheart, Dormammu, D'Spayre, Nightmare, Father and the Angel of Vengeance... Zadkiel, whom Mephisto had bargained with Lucifer to extract from the deepest pits of Hell. They gathered within the darkest of rooms... Secret and cold. An ominous whir could be heard coming from somewhere in the shadows as an even more ominous red glow bathed them all.

In the center of the circle of characters was a glowing orb... Showing them what they needed to see. Showing them that their plans were going as smoothly as had been designed.

"Their toys used against them, our first goal has been reached," Mephisto spoke in a sly tone that contrasted with his most devilish appearance, "The Being has been born. In time... He will reach Earth and wreak havoc. The Avengers are now aware that SHIELD has been keeping secrets. The Avengers themselves are too large. Soon... Ideas and egos will clash and their team will fall apart."

"I have heard rumors... Murmurs," Nightmare spoke, "Whispers in the dark... You have recruited _him_," the end of his sentence spoke with venomous tongue.

The rest twisted their faces in disgust.

"Step forward," Mephisto ordered, and from the darkness came none other than Parker Robbins... Better known as The Hood. It was no secret, the Hood was not popular... Whether that be among heroes, villains, entities, what have you. They all scowled at the latest addition to their inner circle.

"His link to the Vishanti should not be ignored," Mephisto, "With proper influence... He will be able to stand with us... Without the contempt currently held for him."

Father spoke up, his voice as ragged as his old and wrinkled skin, body held up by red armor, "I would like to draw attention to where I feel it is most needed. The retrieval of Selene."

"She is destroyed," D'Spayre spoke from behind the black cape protecting him, "Retrieval is not possible."

"_Recreation_ is," Dormammu said, waving a hand over the glowing orb, showing a far off image of Selene being brought back to life from flecks of flesh and bone, "It will be difficult. Yet... Possible."

Zadkiel felt compelled to speak on a particular matter, "You've never took action like this before," in relation to Mephisto taking charge of this dark cabal of evil, "You've always stuck to shadows. Why now? What's important enough to draw Mephisto out?"

Mephisto chose not to answer the question directly, "The Being has been created. Now... We wait. When the time is right, we will move into the second phase of our master plan. You needn't worry about reasons or motivations. Keep in mind, only, that the dark truth will soon come. When it does... Hell will be unleashed upon _every _world."

The Avengers worst nightmare...

_The Dark Cabal_.

_**::::::::::AVENGERS NOW::::::::::**_

_Opening arc is complete. Chapter is a little rough, I admit. Things finished maybe a little too quick. I hope you guys don't mind too much. Next arc? Oh man... Next arc... It's called... "The Apocalypse Saga" . And yes... It's THAT Apocalypse. Stay tuned, True Believers._


End file.
